A Slight Discomfort

The other night, I had the privilege of seeing the Hold Steady two times in a night. Life was good. Or, rather, incredible.

The only issue was that I got really into the show, and somehow my gum ended up in my hair (hey, it happens to the best of us). I was able to ascertain that it was indeed my gum, and not a random concert-goer's. I mean, I love other Hold Steady fans...but I have to draw the line somewhere. I noticed the gum while it was still freshly fused with my hair (which had also been misted with beer and decorated with glitter, naturally). My immediate priority was to watch the show instead of tend to my hair, which resulted in a tangled mess.

By the time the second show ended, I was deliriously happy, but also in a bit of a predicament. There I was, in Williamsburg at 2am, gum in my hair and wandering around like a lost puppy. Luckily, my friend Ryan was with me and talked some sense into me. I was ready to find the nearest pair of scissors and end it (the gum in hair dilemma, of course).

Ryan came through as he always does, with two simple words: Peanut Butter. "But I'm not hungry," I declared triumphantly. He sighed and cleverly explained that Peanut Butter will get gum out of hair, which I hadn't remembered in my time of distress. This taught me the following:

Lesson #26: No matter where you're living, conventional wisdom will help you out when you're....stuck. There are simple fixes that are easy to forget if you haven't had to employ them since you were five years old (seriously, how does a 25 year old get gum in her hair? Oh, maybe drinking had to do with it). The important thing is to think calmly in times of distress and don't jump to assuming the worst. Sure, some conventional wisdom is cliche and no longer relevant, but I'm personally vouching for Peanut Butter's effectiveness.

I would've been really upset if I woke up and realized I had chopped some of my hair off at 2am, but instead I awoke with the delicious scent of Peanut Butter surrounding me and my pillow. And also, Oh My God does it make your hair silky smooth. I now have a favorite new hair product, and it's Peanut Butter (hey, at least I'm not this guy.)

I'm glad that I didn't have a roommate to judge me - but now that I've made the gum mishap public, feel free to judge. But if you haven't tried Peanut Butter in your hair, I will leave you with (the oh so cliche): don't knock it 'til you try it.

Living with Cats...from a decidedly non-cat person

Milk is a bad choice. So is living with cats.

As of a week ago, the only pets I had was a bird and a few rabbits (which I realize is slightly odd, but just wait). When I found a great sublet, though, I reasoned with myself that living with 2 cats couldn't be so bad.

I slept with one eye open my first night, after getting treated to multiple hisses from my feline friends (I use that term far too loosely). Honestly, there were times I wanted to do terrible things to these cats, and I've found myself questioning how anyone could live with these things. I've also questioned whether or not I could be friends with anyone that lives with cats (the answer is a begrudging yes). Which brings me to my second lesson:

Lesson #2 to remember when moving to a city (or anywhere, really): If you aren't a cat (or dog, or fish, or rat) person, don't live in a place with said animal(s).

I met a girl today that retold a college horror story: one of her roommates had a rat as a pet. Not only did she have a rat, but this rat had baby rats as well that lived under her bed. Now, I'm an open minded individual but there are just certain things you should NOT, under any circumstances, subject your roommates to. Let's just say there are many things I'd prefer finding under a bed than a pile of swarming baby rats.

And that, my friends, is why the idea of finding an apartment/roommates via Craigslist is terrifying. If I can find a place without cats/rats, I'll be set.

Week 1: of Mice and Mental Stability

My new home (for October, at least) - Williamsburg, Brooklyn. A note: I've heard the new Jay Z song "empire state of mind" at least 2x per day while in Brooklyn - I mean, I get it - he's from BK, it's a love song to NYC, etc..but really? Do we need to hear it that often?

I am happy to report that I have only seen mice on the streets so far, not in my lovely 1bedroom. On the other hand, my two roommates (Henry and Sascha, cats) would be more than happy to find mice, I'm sure. When they aren't hissing at me or demanding attention, I actually get along with them okay.

However, on the mental stability front, I've gone through countless emotions this week. No complete freak-outs, but some wtf moments. I miss friends & family like crazy, but I'm slowly adjusting to life here. And finally:

Lesson #1 in moving to a big city: open the cab on the side of the street that traffic is not on. Seems simple enough, but I learned it the hard way upon getting dropped of from La Guardia and promptly slamming the cab door into an oncoming car. Luckily, the other car was only slightly damaged and left after only cursing me a few times. Welcome to NYC!!